Department Of Homeland Security

[Earthworm_Jim]

@BobLibDem

When this crisis is done, we need to start planning for the next one. We absolutely cannot tolerate this the next time such an event occurs The way it looks now, the difference between Baghdad and New Orleans is that one is flooded.

Pfft. When this crisis has passed, half of the talking heads will congratulate the beaurocracy on a job well done; the other half will bitch and moan that it was all (Bush | Clinton | Katie Couric)'s fault and that more should have been done sooner. Bills will be written allocating billions for “disaster preparedness” that will only lead to more ineptitude like DHS.

But in the end, the public will forget (as they have a way of doing) and nothing will change much.

I said much the same in 2001, and I’m sad to see myself proved right today.

[BobLibDem]

Perhaps you’re right. But I hope to see this as a campaign issue in 2008, not the candidates’ war records.

[Slithy_Tove]

Confused - is this thread about the Department of Homeland Security of Hurricane Katrina?

Well, as for the Dept. of Homeland Security being compared to you typical do-nothing, self serving business-speak-babbling corporation: when I worked as a printer one of my last contracts was to print the business cards for the Dept. of Homeland Security, as a sub-vendor under the Lighthouse for the Blind (they get a lot of government contracts but have to farm out to the sighted the obvious tasks).

I’d done a lot of vanity projects for white shoe law firms and flash in the pan dot-coms, but these things took the cake! Six ink colors, most of them four of five digit Pantone Matching System inks, and these were just the card master sheets - not the individual name imprints - they were to be done in black and yet another PMS ink. After getting bids, they chose the more expensive of the selected card stock - our only headache was to secure ample quantities of it, since it’s only used for prestige products. We had to contact the paper mill and get a rep there to prepare to ramp up production.

And why? Any terrorist with the right printing equipment (which I’ve seen available at government drug & tax confiscation auctions) could duplicate a set of cards with little trouble. I felt like it was 1914 and I was stitching gold embroidery on cavalry uniforms.

[E.Thorp]

@rjung

The National Security Advisor was buying several thousand dollars worth of shoes in NYC.

[nitpick] Secretary of State. [/nitpick]

[lorinada]

@rjung

The head of FEMA says it’s the refugees’ fault for not evacuating themselves.

Yes, because a blind woman with no legs can just up and leave on a day’s notice. And when she “chooses” not to, her family, of course, who has no car and no money, wouldn’t have any problem just leaving her behind.

[ShibbOleth]

Maybe China has the right idea. The current head of DHS should tender his resignation. Whoever approved their emergency plans should be shot or tossed in with the looters, even if we have to call Tom Ridge back up to service.

[Shutterbug]

CNN is asking who is to blame: the local government, state, or federal. While “blame” is not the best word to be using, I am distraught by what I’ve heard about the Department of Homeland Security (“HS”) and I believe it failed New Orleans (“NO”) and Southern Mississippi and the nation. I thought they were supposed to be prepared to protect the USA that’s why Congress reshuffled major governmental agencies.

According to CNN, HS admitted that last year it had the foresight to use NO in a worst case scenario drill. They knew that more likely than not, the levees would not be able to withstand a CAT4 or higher hurricane (or possibly even a slow moving CAT3 hurricane) and that 100,000 people in NO would not be able to evacuate if something like a Katrina hit.

If they were so f***ing clever, why were they so myopic not to come up with an evacuation plan? Did they share their finding with the LA Homeland Security Officials? Did they inform the Mayor of NO of their study?

I understand that even if they had the money to upgrade the levees to withstand a CAT5 storm and begun the project last year, it would have not spared NO from Katrina because the project would not be completed. However, why didn’t they come up with an evacuation plan?

Perhaps in the future, HS will have local police go to the areas of town were the residents are too poor, elderly, or feeble to leave and announce on their bullhorns (megaphones, speakers, whatever) that a catastrophic storm is moving through the area and that a mandatory evacuation is in place. Residents have X hours to gather their family members and 1 small bag of personal items and go to Area A, B, C … (in my fantasy, local HS has already determined where these areas are and had a public service campaign telling everyone where these areas are. ) HS will also have contracts in place with bus companies across the nation or even airlines, so when they are called upon, they will go to the area in need to bus people out.

In my fantasy, the Navy will have at least one medical ship ready to deploy to any area where a CAT4 or higher storm is expected to hit.

I know there are many plans that are better than mine and probably cheaper, but that is what HS security should have been planning for all along.

[Larry_Borgia]

@tdn

Hell, I know of a message board that’s dedicated to fighting ignorance where people said that.

Well, you can’t fight ignorance if it doesn’t show up.

[Squink]

@Shutterbug

In my fantasy, the Navy will have at least one medical ship ready to deploy to any area where a CAT4 or higher storm is expected to hit.

BALTIMORE (NNS) – The U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), based here, was activated Aug. 31 in support of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) efforts to provide medical support in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Comfort, one of the largest trauma facilities in the United States, is being readied quickly for her mission and is expected to get underway for the Gulf Coast by September 3.

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=19867

[The_Hamster_King]

Man, I fucking hate mission statements.

I worked for a company once that fancied itself the next Yahoo.

We had a meeting to come up with a mission statement.

I suggested: “Go public and cash out.”

This was dismissed as needlessly cynical (although that was clearly the CEO’s plan). Instead we came up with a couple of sentences of nonsense that were engraved on a plaque that was hung in the lobby and promptly forgotten.

[Baldwin]

Quote:
Originally Posted by rjung
The head of FEMA says it’s the refugees’ fault for not evacuating themselves.

This really gets me. And he’s not the only one saying it. In New Orleans alone, at least 100,000 people had no transportation. Many of these people were also living paycheck to paycheck, so had no ready cash even if they could get away.

One of the people saying it was the ever-reliable Rush Limbagh: he said something like “Why don’t these people have cars? What’s wrong with them?” I think he’s forgotten the period when he was on public assistance.

[MovieMogul]

Go to the DHS homepage.

of words about 9/11: 168

of times “Terror”, “Terrorism”, “Terrorist” or other variations are used: 24

of words about Katrina relief efforts: 4 (“Hurricane”=2, “Relief”=2)

Font size of these 4 words: This small

of pictures on homepage: 1

of pictures on homepage related to Katrina relief efforts: 0.

[RickJay]

That is not a link to the DHS home page.

This is:

Home

[MovieMogul]

My mistake. Thanks for the corrected link (and I’m glad to see the photo is of actual rescue workers and not just a W photo-op).

[Shutterbug]

@Squink

Quote:

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=19867

Quote:
BALTIMORE (NNS) – The U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), based here, was activated Aug. 31 in support of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) efforts to provide medical support in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Comfort, one of the largest trauma facilities in the United States, is being readied quickly for her mission and is expected to get underway for the Gulf Coast by September 3.

I’m grateful the Navy is on its way. One of the cable news channels reported that a Navy ship in the area has 500 evacuees on board. I sincerely thank all the service men and women who are willing to risk their lives and do so by enlisting; the volunteers and everyday people who are trying to help the best way they know how; and even the individuals serving their country by working in the government.

I still feel like the Department of Homeland Security could have and should have done better if what is being reported is true. I can’t help but wonder if DHS shared their information with other agencies (specifically the levee/CAT4 situation). The Director of Homeland Security should have requested the Comfort be activated when NOAA predicted NO would be slammed. He is a cabinet member. After all, doesn’t membership have its privileges? :rolleyes: Stupid pun, I know.

[ShibbOleth]

@Shutterbug

I’m grateful the Navy is on its way. One of the cable news channels reported that a Navy ship in the area has 500 evacuees on board. I sincerely thank all the service men and women who are willing to risk their lives and do so by enlisting; the volunteers and everyday people who are trying to help the best way they know how; and even the individuals serving their country by working in the government.

I am as well, BUT… Katrina hit on August 29th. By August 28th it was pretty clear that she was a big honkin’ storm and somewhere on the Gulf at least was going to get hammered. Even on August 27th it was predicted to hit between New Orleans and Pensacola. I want to know why contingency plans weren’t drawn on 27 August, readiness beginning on the 28th August and the ship wasn’t loaded and ready to go on August 29th. At worst, if the hurricane changed they could have stood down. A couple of days here was likely the difference between life and death for some people. This ship should have been underway 3-5 days ago. Heck, maybe it should be stationed in the port of Jacksonville during Hurricane season so it can get to the most likely affected sites a day or two sooner.

[Foaming_Cleanser]

The head of FEMA says it’s the refugees’ fault for not evacuating themselves.

And without the help of an enema.

[Shutterbug]

In this thread http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=333043, Scruloose pointed out that the Coast Guard is part of HS. I forgot that they were. I applaud the Coast Guard for what they’ve done. I am in awe of their courage. My complaints of HS lie with the leaders in charge and not those working under them.

[Cervaise]

@Shutterbug

My complaints of HS lie with the leaders in charge

Doesn’t look at the moment like the leaders are in charge of shit. That’s what happens when a secondary agency is entrusted to an inexperienced campaign flunky as a political gift.

[dalej42]

Everyone in here is wrong.

What we need is a color coded hurricane warning system

Green=Category 1
Blue=Category 2
Yellow=Category 3
Orange=Category 4
Red=Category 5

I’m sure a color coded hurricane system would have solved all the problems. It has worked to stop the terrorists…